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September 19, 2023 – The goal is zero fatalities and serious injuries on Michigan roads. Since last week, 21 people died on Michigan roadways making a total of 743 this year. In addition, 155 more were seriously injured for a statewide total of 4,085 to date.
Compared to last year at this time, there are 26 fewer fatalities and 171 more serious injuries.
Numbers are provided by the Michigan State Police.
September 17-23, 2023
Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 17-23. The annual safety week always ends with National Seat Check Saturday (September 23), a day for parents and caregivers to receive free instruction on how to correctly install and use the right car seats for their kids.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children, and the latest research from NHTSA shows that 46% of car seats are misused. Common issues are children being in the wrong type of car seat for their age and size, and car seats being installed improperly — both of which leave children vulnerable to injury in a crash. Sadly, two children under 13 were killed every day in 2021 while riding in vehicles, and another estimated 318 were injured. Most parents are trying to do their best for their kids so they may be surprised to find out their kids aren’t as safe as possible in their vehicle.
Michigan’s Child Passenger Safety Law
Michigan’s child passenger safety law requires children younger than age 4 to ride in a car seat in the rear seat, if the vehicle has a rear seat. If all available rear seats are occupied by children under 4, then a child under 4 may ride in a car seat in the front seat. A child in a rear-facing car seat may only ride in the front seat if the airbag is turned off. All children must be buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4-feet-9-inches tall. Children must ride in a seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first.
Car Seat Basics
Counterfeit & Fake Car Seats
Counterfeit and fake car seats are a rapidly growing concern in child safety. Parents and gift givers are purchasing seats from online deal sites like eBay and AliExpress as well as 3rd party sellers on Amazon and Walmart, sometimes with high-end price tags. Even parents that do extensive research can be easily fooled by these unsafe look-a-likes and/or tricked into purchasing car seats that do not meet US regulations or safety standards.
Reg flags can include missing US mandatory information on permanent labels like minimum/maximum height and weight in English, model name and number, date of manufacturing, and missing the statement “This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.” Other red flags include foreign languages on the label that do not include English, did not come with a car seat manual and/or a registration recall card, and no 5-point harness with chest clip (will not have for booster car seats).
If you suspect your car seat has any of the red flags, there are a few additional ways to confirm the car seat is legal and safe for use in the US:
National Seat Check September 23
National Seat Check Saturday is a yearly opportunity for parents to make sure their children are safe in their car seats and booster seats. Don’t wait for a crash to happen to find out if your child’s seat is installed correctly.
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be offering free car seat safety checks and education to parents and caregivers on Saturday, September 23, 2023. Technicians will let you know if your children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, make sure your car seats are installed correctly and explain the importance of registering car seats with the manufacturer so you can be notified if there is a recall.
Find Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians by searching the Safe Kids website or through the NHTSA website at the bottom of the page. The OHSP website contains useful information and offers many car seat related materials free of charge.
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